I have tried various software programs and pinnacle studio is for me the most versatile and simple to use but it has a couple of disadvantages but minor ones. I am running pinnacle studio 11 plus that I purchased a year ago for R1300 but please shop around the prices are very competitive.

propolis wrote:When I do more advanced editting, I use Adobe Premiere Pro - the only down side is that you must have a Dual Core CPU in your PC, but it is a great piece of software

PPro does need a fast processor and lots of RAM but I was running it quite happily on a single core AMD Athlon. It probably needs a dual core processor for Hi Def.

My recommendation for starters would be Premiere Elements. It has many of the great features of Premiere Pro but is much cheaper. Its DVD encoding is really good. If you decide at a later stage to upgrade to PPro you will already be faniliar with many of the functions.

The smaller the monkey the more it looks like it would kill you at the first given opportunity

Hi guys, I found you photography buffs very helpful when i purchased a dslr, so I'm turning to you for help with a video camcorder .On an impulse buy I have purchased a basic canon miniDV camcorder. Problem is the instructions reveal something about a firewire cable and port to import the video onto a laptop, my laptop doesn't have a firewire port. Any ideas on alternative solutions?I would really like to capture footage of my wildlife experiences on my next trip.

I was in the same boat since the past month and seeing this post I was finally tempted to register on the forum and post a reply!!

I note that Scout has suggested a Firewire to USB converter, and it definitely isn't the cheapest solution!

I'm currently using a Firewire to PCMCIA Cardbus adapter without any issues and the best parts are that they're way cheaper and you can have multiple Firewire ports on the Laptop. This is great as you can connect the camcorder and an external hard drive to the Firewire ports. You soon find that you're investing in software, external hard drives, books and lots of time to get half decent results!!

I hope I've got the link right! As you can see you get multiple ports at a fraction of the Firewire to USB converter. This should give you a start and you can try and see if this product is available in your favourite brands.

Emily86: You're welcome! This adapter is a card that plugs right into the laptop PCMCIA slot. Just ensure that your laptop has a PCMCIA or CardBus slot to plug it into. You should get this information from the laptops' user manual. If your laptop instead has an ExpressCard slot, then just purchase a Firewire to ExpressCard adapter.

I'm glad to be of some help , after mooching off the forum over the last six months or so!!

HELP!!I used my Canon camera recently in the park and it made the most amazing quality video in HD. (My old Sony packed up the night before I left for Kruger).However, I need a simple way to burn it to a DVD without using a computer.Is there such a way? .... I want to plug the camera cords into the tv and burn it straight from the memory card through to the dvd recorder.... just like my old Sony did!I swear I nearly smashed my laptop from frustration.

Dinky Bird - .... Eventually phoned Canon ... no, it can't be done from TV to DVD recorder. can only watch each frame through the TV, not a continuous movie.Has to be downloaded onto computer with loaded software for this purpose - either Windows dvd maker or movie maker and then burned to a dvd.

Hi - I take a lot of videos in Kruger and its sometimes difficult to keep absolutely still. I then edit them via movie maker into a dvd with music, etc. and love watching them from time to time. I have heard of various programs which can assist in editing the shaky clips.

Can any of the experts out there advise on a reasonably priced program to help me.